Automatic train-pipe connector.



v. s. DURBIN. AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.27, 1912.

Patented Oct. 7, 1913.

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V. S. DURBIN.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27. 1912.

1 flWQSQ Patented 00b. 7, 1913.

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V. S. DURBIN.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.27,1912.

P3136111) Oct. 7, 1913.

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VOTAW S. .DURBIN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASS-IGNOR TO DUB/BIN AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTOR COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF ARIZONA.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-PIPE CONNECTOR.

Specification of Letters Yaten't.

Patented Oct. 7,1913.

Application filed April 27, 1912. Serial No. 693,650.

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ie it known that I, V( 'lA\V S. DURP-IN, a cilixen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Train-Pipe Connectors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in automatic coupling httachnients for the signal, brake and steam pipes of railway cars.

The invention relates to the type of tram pipe connector described and illustrated in my pending application, Ser. No. (35$,(it17, tiled November (3, 1911, and involves nntion of such device.

The present invention, therefore, has for its general objects to provide an improved manner of supporting the connector as a whole from the car; to provide improved means for maintaining the coupler-heads in unainterlocked relation under the ordinary conditions of service, thereby preventing relative movement between the two coupler-heads; and to provide means for automatically and positively unlocking the couplenheads.

lfiurther objects of the invention reside in details of constructioniand combinations of all of which will be more clearly undcrstood from the description and claims to follow.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the forward portion of two coupled cars showing the train pipe connector in coupled relation; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the position oi the parts when the cars are uncoupled; Fig. 3 is a central, transverse, sectional view through two coupled connectors; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the same; Fig. 5 is a view in front elevation of one of the connector heads; and Fig. 6 is' a fragmentary, sectional view showing the contact devices for establishing electrical connection through the connector heads.

Referring now to the drawings, the nu merals 1 and 2 indicate, respectively, the

meeting ends of two cars, each of which has extending across its end at the bottom a piece of timber'3 called the dead-wood.

t indicates generally the draft couplers. The two inembersoiiniy device being alike in all particulars, and being supported on each car in exactly the same manner, a description of one, and the manner of support ing it, will suitice for both. The numeral 5 indicates a is preferably cast in two parts and joined together by rivets, or the like, 6. Secured on the under sidcof the car, and depending therefrom, are two supports 7, to the lower ends of which is secured a casting 8, the front. side of which is recessed to receive a tapered and aperturcd end 9 of the casing 5, and is provided in opposite sides with bearings 10 to receive a pivot pin 11 which passes through the aperture in the end of the casing, and is journaled in the said bearings 10. The bottom and top of the recess in the casting 8 form stops 12 and 12*,respectivcly, the lower stop serving to limit the downward 'movement of the casing 5, and to support said casing should the chains hereinafter referred to break or become disconnected froin the coupler; and the upper stop serving to limit the upward movement of said casiug'to prevent any tendency to buckling in the coupling operation. The forward end of the casing 5 is provided with an opening 13 through which projects a plunger 14 having within the casing a head l-l between which and the rear end of the casing is provided a coil spring 16 which tends normally to push the plunger 14: outward. The outer end of the plunger 14 is bifurcated and aperturcd, and in the bifurcated portion 15 there is inserted a substantially circular, apertured projection 16 formed on the rear side of the coupler-head 17, and a )in 18 is passed through the apertures in the bifurcated end of the plunger and in said projection whereby the couplerhead is pivotally mounted. upon said plunger. A cotter-pin 19 is used to hold the pin lS'in place. The movement of the couplerhcad on its pivot 18, as will be observed, is in a plane at right angles to the movement of the casing 5 upon its pivot 11; and in this way; I provide "for movement of the coupl-cnhead in all necessary directions, thereby securing the advantages of a universal joint, while providing a stronger, and at the same time, more economical construction.

The coupler head, as a whole, is substantially of the construction shown in my ,pending application, being provided with a pyhousing which ramidal projection 20 on one side for entering 11c an opening in the mating head, and adjacent to said projection being provided with an opening 21 for receiving the pyramidal project-ion on the mating head. The projection 20 is hollow, and near its base in its outer Wall is provided with an opening 31, through which projects a locking-catch 22, mounted on a, lever 23,which lever is pivotally mounted at 24 at one end on the coupier-head. At its opposite end the said lever is provided with an eye 25 in which is secured one end of a chain 26, the opposite end of which is connected to the end of the casing 5, as indicated at 27. One end of a spring 28 is also connected in the eye 25, the other end of said spring being secured at the apex of the projection 20, as indicated at 29. The coupler-heads of the train pipe con nector project considerably in advance of the corresponding coupling members of the draft coupler, and when the cars are brought together, therefore, the coupler-heads of the train pipe connector first engage and interlock, and by the time the draft couplers have also interlocked the plnngers It will have been pressed back a considerable dist'ancein the casing 5 against the resistance of the springs 16. When the carsare uncoupled and start to separate the plun'gers 14 will, of course, be pressed outwardby the said springs 16, and as the couplenheaol moves away from the end of the casing 5 the chain-26 will hold the inner end of the lever arm 23 from movement so that the catch 22 will thereby be drawn inward as the lever arm 23' turns on its pivot, being thereby moved from engagement with the wall 30 of the mating coupler-head. This occurs before the plungers 14 have completed their outward movement, so that by the time the coupler-heads are ready to separate the catch 22 will have been completely withdrawn, allowing the coupler-heads to freely separate. When the cars are brought together, and as the plungers 14 are pressed backward, the spring 28 will gradually pull the end of the'lcver 23 outward until the catch 22 again projects through the opening 21 and over the wall 30 of the mating coupler-head. In this way the two couplerheads are securely locked in position, and so long as the cars are coupled these two coupler-heads cannot be separated by any force less than that required to break them, or, at least, the catches 22. Each couplerhead is provided with suitable apertures, adapted to aline, for the passage of fluid,

said apertures being indicated by the numerals :31, S2 and 33, the apertures 31 and 32 at the upper part of the coupler being for suitable connection with the brake and sig nal pipes, and the aperture 33 being, for connection with the steam pipe. in the casrrof the air po rts each of the apertures 31 and 32 is surrounded with an interiorly screwthreaded. housing 34, 35, in which is first irrserted a rubber asket 36, the end of which projects slightly beyond the face of the coupler for engagement with the opposing gasket. A nipple 37 having an outer threaded end 38 and a shouldered head 39, is then inserted'to bear against the gasket 36, and a nut 40 is screwed into the housing, its inner end bearing against the head 39 of the nipple and pressing it firmly against the rubber gasket. By screwin up the nut 40 at dif: terent times the in her gasket 36 can be pressed outward to make up for wear, contraction, etc. The air pipes 41 and 42 are inserted on the ends of the nipples, as shown. In the case of the steam pipe connection, l omit the rubber gaskets and mount the contact members 43 in the meeting ends of the nipples 44, on which the steam pipes 44 are inserted. In. each coupler-head I likewise mount contact pins 45 surrounded by insulation 46, to which pins are connected wires 47 so that when the couplerheads are brought together these contact pins will firmly engage each other and render it possible to establish telephonic communicationj throughout the length of the train.

When the cars are in the uncoupled position the coupler-heads andcasings 5 are supported by means of chains 48 connected at their uppercnds to the dead-wood, and at their lower ends to lugs on the couplerhcads, as indicated at 49. The length of these chains is such that, as shown in Fig. 2, when the cars are uncoupled they will be drawn taut as the plungers 14 are pressed outward, and will thereby hold the connectors as a whole in a substantially horizontal position. WVhen the cars are-coupled, however, and the plungers pressed inward, these chains will be slackened, as shown in Fig. 1, permitting the requisite up and down movement of the connectors,,such as occurs in the movement of the train due to unevenness in the track, and thelike.

As the pull on the chain 26, due to the pressure of the spring 16, would, if not resisted, turn the coupler-head 17 to one side, I provide on th wall 30 of each couplerhead an eye which is connected one'end of a chain 50, t ie other end of which is conmated to the end of the casing 5, as indicatcd at 52/ This chain, as will be apparent more clearly f om anexamination of Fig. 4, holds the co ipler-head from being turned by thomeans stated-beyond the correct coupling position.

I claim:

11. in combination with a ear having train pipes, a rigid member supported from-the car a'liording a bearing, a cylindrical casing having/its rear end pivotally mounted in;

, either direction, a coil spring hous ivot in in said casing, a plunger extending through the front end of the casing and havin ahead movement of said casing on its working in the casing against said spring,

a coupler-head pivotally mounted on the outer end of the plunger and having a movement about its pivot in a plane at right angles to the movement of the casing about its pivot, and being provided. with ports for the passage of fluid, means for maintaining said coupler-head normally in the coupling position, and hose=attaching means carried by said coupler-head and communicating with said ports.

2. In combination with a car having train pipes, a casing pivotally' supported at one end from said-car, a spring-pressed plunger housed in said casing, a coupler-head pivotally mounted on the end of said plunger, a locking member pivotally mounted on said coupler-head at one side thereof, a. spring connected at one end to said locking niemher, and at its otherend to the coupler-head,

a connection between said end'of the looking member" and the end, of said casing and a connection between the other side 0 said coupler-head to that described and the said casing, said locking member. being adapted to engage a part of themating coupler-head under the influence of its spring when the two coupler-heads have been brought together and the plungers forced inward.

- tion with a spring-controlled 3. In a train pipe coupling, in. combinw plunger sup ported from the car, a coupler-. ead having a hollow tapered projection for entering an opening in, and provided with an opening for receivinga corresponding proiection on, the mating coupler-head, and. said projee tion having an opening in its well, a iever a spring connected at its opposite ends to the other end of said lever and to said couthe said free end of the lever with a relapivotally mounted on the head at oneend,

pler-head, respectively, means connecting tively fixed member on the car, and a loching member carried by. said lever and wort;

ing through said opening in the projection of the head, said locking memberadapted to engage a part of the matmg v coupler-head under the influence of said. spring when the coupler-'heads are o might together and the plunger forced inward, and

to be withdrawn from such engagement by the said,connecting means when the plumger is forced outward by its spring the heads are drawn apart by the separation of the cars. 

